Hospitals describe Operation Rehab, badge-buddies and red-sticker tactics to identify trafficking victims

Hospital and clinical presenters told the task force they are already piloting a range of tools to identify and support trafficking survivors in emergency settings.

Marie Maddox of Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport described "Operation Rehab"—Rescue, Assess, Heal, Break free—a hospital recognition-and-response program that seeks to increase provider awareness and victim extraction, connect survivors to named community partners and support individualized post-discharge plans. Maddox said the program prioritizes safety and, where needed, can admit patients under an alias while a community partner secures a safe exit; she also noted the program uses the Victims of Violent Crimes fund when no other payer source is available.

Michelle Nelson of Our Lady of the Lake (FMOLHS) described ED policy work in progress: establishing access to protective services for every patient, objective indicator-based identification, train-the-trainer education for clinical and nonclinical staff, annual refreshers and a badge-buddy quick-reference that flags next steps. Nelson said the reporting sequence at her system is: notify the nurse or advanced practice clinician, obtain an authorization to release PHI if appropriate, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline and the Office of Human Trafficking Prevention, and then involve the law-enforcement agency responsible for the incident location; for minors, DCFS is notified.

SANE (sexual-assault nurse examiner) presenters Tammy Smith, Jessica Plaisance and Heidi Martin explained hospital- and corner-based forensic-response models, red-dot or "red-sticker" policies that silently flag patients who need private conversation, and the role of forensic nursing in both assault and trafficking cases. They described rapid forensic interview capacity for children (15–20 minutes for some regions) and stressed that all staff—from housekeeping to registration—should know who to call when they hear concerning information.

Presenters and members identified recurring operational barriers: limited safe housing (transportation and funds to reunify survivors with families), a shortage of appropriate placements for adults with special needs, and uneven availability of bedside advocacy and immediate community resources. Speakers urged that protocol design account for these real-world limitations so identification can be matched by an available response.